You should take the time to manage your iCloud storage quota. Everything from backups, photos, and documents to apps that sync data on iPhone and Mac uses iCloud. Unless you perform regular cleaning sessions, you're bound to burn through a storage plan as soon as possible.
Contents1. Delete outdated backups2. Delete unwanted photos3. Switch to Google Photos4. Delete Junk Files in iCloud Drive5. Switch to Google Drive6. Delete iMessage7 attachments. Disable Messages in iCloud8. Delete attachments in Mail9. Delete voice memos10. Review and delete other Sunny Day saves
A while ago, we considered freeing up iCloud storage on iPhone and iPad. In this article, we will also explore ways to do this on Mac. In the end, you will hopefully have plenty of iCloud storage available. Let's start.
By default, iPhones and iPads are automatically configured to back up data to iCloud. However, you can choose to delete backups from any devices you no longer use (or own) to free up huge chunks of storage directly from your Mac.
On the Mac, go to System Preferences> Apple ID> Manage. Next, choose an outdated backup and click Delete "-".
If you delete an iPhone or iPad backup that's in use, you're putting that device at risk. In this case, we strongly recommend that you create regular local backups on your Mac using the Finder.
All the photos you capture on an iPhone or iPad end up using up a lot of iCloud space. If iCloud Photos is enabled on your Mac, you can choose to delete unwanted photos and screenshots to free up space.
Open the Photos app, then dive into categories like Screenshots (located under Media Types in the sidebar) to locate and delete unwanted images (right-click an image and select Delete Photo ).
You can also select multiple photos to delete; hold down the Command key while clicking items.
Note: Deleting photos will also delete them from other devices that use iCloud Photos.
Consider using Google Photos for photo backups. In addition to 15GB of free storage, Google Photos lets you upload and sync an unlimited number of photos and videos (albeit in compressed quality).
On the Mac, install the "Backup and Sync from Google" client to download and access photos. On iPhone and iPad, use the Google Photos app instead.
Download Backup and Sync (Mac)
Download Google Photos (iPhone and iPad)
After backing up your photos and videos to Google Photos from all your devices, you choose to turn off iCloud Photos and free up the associated cloud storage. Go to System Preferences> Apple ID> Manage. Next, select Photos and click Disable and Delete.
Recommended: Refer to this guide for details on what happens when you turn off and delete iCloud Photos.
Do you use iCloud Drive to sync files and folders between devices? Go to Finder, select iCloud Drive from the sidebar, then delete any unwanted items to free up space.
Tip: In any folder, switch to List view, then click the Size column to organize files by size. This should help you identify large files that you no longer need.
Instead of using iCloud Drive, consider switching to another cloud storage service. Google Drive, for example, not only offers 15GB of free storage, but also doesn't count certain forms of data against your quota.
To start using Google Drive, download "Backup and sync from Google" on your Mac. You can access your Google Drive content on iPhone and iPad through the Google Drive app.
Download Backup and Sync (Mac)
Download Google Drive (iPhone and iPad)
If you use iMessage on your iPhone or Mac, you'll often end up eating up a lot of iCloud storage, since messages and conversations are set to sync between devices by default. In terms of gigabytes, this could very well reach double digits if nothing is done.
Open the Messages app, then find and delete unwanted photos, attachments, or conversation threads. Right click on an item and select Delete. If you're using macOS Big Sur, you can use the improved search capabilities in Messages to locate unwanted items faster.
Don't have time to delete attachments and chat threads in iMessage? If so, you can choose to turn off the Messages app to sync data between devices and quickly free up lots of iCloud storage.
Go to System Preferences> Apple ID> Manage. Next, select Messages, then click Disable and Delete.
If you use an iCloud.com email account, consider deleting emails with attachments to free up space. Use the Mail app's filters for quick access.
Open the Mail app on your Mac, then click View> Filter> Enable Message Filter. Then go back to the Filter menu and set the criteria to "Only messages with attachments".
You can then start deleting unwanted emails and conversations with large attachments. For more details, see this guide.
Do you record a lot of voice memos? Since they're set to sync across devices, your recordings may end up using iCloud storage. So, open Voice Memos app and delete all unwanted voice memos.
You should also delete them from the Recently Deleted folder in Voice Memos. Otherwise, they will continue to reside both locally and on iCloud for the next 30 days.
Finally, go to System Preferences> Apple ID> Manage again and browse the list of different backups made by apps or services on iCloud.
Then delete anything you deem unnecessary. For example, you can delete an outdated WhatsApp backup that you no longer need.
Be careful doing this, as deleted iCloud data is often unrecoverable.
Regularly reviewing and managing your iCloud storage quota from your Mac (or iPhone) will ensure you don't run out of space in the worst of times. Of course, not all of the methods listed above are suitable for everyone. But a single action like switching to Google Photos (with its unlimited storage offer) can help prevent what would have seemed like an inevitable upgrade to the next tier of iCloud storage for a long time.
Then:
iCloud has many nuances. Check out these 8 tips and tricks to start using it like a pro.
